TO A SKYLARK - TO A SKYLARK - 2008

There is common prejudice among metal disparagers, that metal artists are naive, heavy-handed screaming dudes, with no cultural or spiritual concerns. Of course, we all know this is rubbish. But it is always very comforting to discover bands like To a Skylark (named after the poem by British romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley), that are a riposte to such light-hearted allegations.

To a Skylark's debut album is by all means a sophisticated and complete work of art. These Italian lads, together since 2003, have devoted themselves to the creation of this deep and complex collection of songs, elaborated to the last detail.

Categorization is difficult. It's metal music, of course, with loads of psychedelic and progressive elements, changing themes, melodic and bombastic parts. This sense of musical adventure will set To a Skylark under the sometimes dreadful post metal tag, but this won't do justice to their music.

Sure, the guitar work is similar to that of Tool, and the vocals, when clean, can bring Maynard in the listener's mind. But it's a heavier affair here, with more brutal growls and less "indie" or "alternative" ethos. If I had to mention more influences, then it would be Pink Floyd - for their psychedelic melodies -, Isis, Opeth and the like.

The eight tracks on the album keep a very delicate balance: Two of the tracks, which set the tone for the album, are more than ten minutes long, and another two of them are less than three minutes long; melodic preludes, yes, but by no means should they be treated as fillers. As said above, this is an elaborate production, everything's set to the right place and nothing has been left to chance.

My opinion is that maybe To a Skylark haven’t realized their own virtues. Listening to this album I was pretty impressed, almost tripped out, during the progressive/psychedelic parts, but suddenly brought back to reality with the heavier ones; they seemed at times stereotyped, you see. But, apart from that, this is a record with hardly any flaws. Impressive work, and a band to look forward to in the future.
http://www.metalperspective.com